Illuminated mirror kit



Nov. 19, 1963 E. PFISTERER ILLUMINATED MIRROR KIT Filed Dec. '7, 1962 IN VENTOR. EE/CH A P/s 719E528,

FIG. 3.

A7'TOE/VEYS United States Patent 3,111,275 ELLUMKNATED MERRQR KIT Erich Pristerer, 102 E. Allen $3, Burlington, Vt. Filed Dec. 7, 1962, Scr. No. 242,9s2 3 Claims. (Cl. Will-42) This invention relates to a novel illuminated mirror kit having compartments for protectively carrying desired articles.

The primary object of the invention is the provision of a highly useful, versatile, and efiicient device of the kind indicated, which is readily adapted to contain and carry a wide variety of categories of articles of especial interest and use to individual bearers of the device, and which, while providing a mirror for personal inspection, aifords also a guarded light source for use in illumining darkened areas, and for use to illuminate an article or articles carried by or contained by the device.

Another object of the invention is the provision of a highly compact, easily held unitary device of the character indicated above, which preferably is formed to provide an upper article containing compartment which is normally closed by a hinged cover, and a pendant handle which has a battery compartment opening to the upper compartment and an article containing compartment opening to its lower end, the cover being hollow and having a partition which defines an enclosed electric bulb compartment, the partition having an opaque centralized mirror, surrounded by a translucent area, through which light from the electric bulb can pass to illuminate the contents of the upper compartment, and/ or the face of the user of the device, or illumine a darkened area.

Gther important objects and advantageous features of the invention will be apparent from the following description and the accompanying drawings, wherein, for purposes of illustration only, a specific form or" the invention is set forth in detail. 7

In the drawings:

FIGURE 1 is a side elevation of a device of the present invention, its cover being closed;

FIGURE 2 is a vertical transverse section taken on the line 22 of FIGURE 1;

FIGURE 3 is a fragmentary side elevation of the device, showing its cover in open position; and

FTGURE 4 is a bottom plan view of the device.

Referring in detail to the drawings, wherein like numerals designate like parts throughout the several views, the illustrated device comprises a preferably one-piece non-corrosive body of suitable material, such as molded plastic or metal. The body comprises a preferably cylindrical cross section, vertically elongated, upwardly tapering handle 19, having a flat lower end 12. An axial lower blind bore 14 is formed upwardly from the lower end 12, which constitutes a lower article containing compartment A, for the secure but readily removable reception, in the case of devotion of the device as a ladies vanity kit, of a lipstick assembly 16. The assembly 16 comprises a vertical tubular shell 18, which fits snugly in the counterbore 14, and has an enlarged diameter disc 2%), on its lower end, which seats conformably in a lateral annular groove 22, formed in the lower end of the handle it concentric with respect to and opening into the counterbore. Notches 24, formed in the sidewall of the groove 22, facilitate insertion of a finger-nail or other implement, for withdrawing the assembly 16. It will be understood that the invention contemplates the containing of any other articles in the lower compartment 14.

The upper part of the handle it) is formed with an upper axial blind bore 26 having a flat bottom 28 on which is a central upstanding boss 39 onto which is fixed the bight portion 32 of an upstanding, generally U-shaped,

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conductive spring battery clip 34. The clip 34 has spring arms 36 which are biased toward each other for clamping an upright battery 38 therebetween, with its bottom terminal 3? in electrical contact with the bight portion 32. As indicated in FIGURE 2, the spring clip 34 can include another pair of opposed spring arms.

An on-and-oil slide switch 449 is mounted through the sidewall 42 of the upper blind bore 26, whose switch arm 44 is engaged with one of the spring arms 36 of the battery clip 34, the contact 48 of the switch being connected by a wire it to an electric bulb socket, as hereinafter described.

The upper blind bore 26 is larger in diameter than the lower blind bore 1'4, and its sidewall 42 flares curvedly upwardly and laterally outwardly, as indicated at 52, and has an upstanding annular flange 54, on its upper end, which is of uniform height. The meeting of the sidewall 42 with the flange 5d defines an interior annular shoulder as, upon which is adapted to be supported any desired object 58, such as a face powder tray, when the device is used as a vanity. The object 58 has fixed centrally to its underside a spring contact arm 60, which is in forcible electrical engagement with the upper center terminal 62 of the battery 33, and a wire 64 leads from the contact arm 6i) to the other side of the mentioned bulb socket.

An upwardly domed convex-concave circular cover 66 has a pendant annular flange 68 around its lower end, which, in the closed position of the cover, is registered with and bears upon the upper edge of the flange 54. External hinge leaves 7%? and 72, on the cover flange 6S and the handle flange 54, respectively, are pivoted on a hinge pin '74- extending through the leaves, whereby the cover 66 can be swung upwardly to an open position, substantially at right angles to the object 58, as indicated in FIGURE 3. The upper blind bore constitutes an intermediate battery compartment B, and the shoulder 56 and the flange 54 constitutes an upper article receiving compartment C.

An electric bulb socket 76 is secured centrally to the underside of the cover 6% and extends downwardly therefrom. The socket can comprise, as shown in FIG- U35 2, an L-shaped conductive bracket 78 having a horizontal arm 89, through which the ferrule 82 of an electric bulb 84 is adapted to be securably and removably engaged, and a spring contact arm 36, secured, at one end, to the cover, biased downwardly therefrom, and having, on its free end a contact 83 which bears forcibly down upon the upstanding outer terminal 89 of the bulb 34, the wires 64 and 5% being severally connected to the bracket 78 and the contact arm 36.

A fiat disc 93 extends across the interior of the cover 66 and is removably secured thereto on a level adjacent to the upper end of the cover flange 63, as by means of circumferentially spaced radially inwardly extending lugs 92, between which and the wall of the cover the edge of the disc t) is wedged. A notch is provided in the peripheral edge of the disc, to pass the wires and to admit an implement for forcing the disc downwardly past the lugs 92, and removing the disc to provide access for replacement of the electric bulb 8 5.

The disc 9d may be of integral or one-piece form, or be sectional, as shown in FIGURE 2, and composed of an outer annular flat ring 96 of translucent material, and a central circular plate 93, somewhat thicker than the ring 96, and larger in diameter than the opening of the ring, and having an upstanding circular portion 102, forcibly engaged in the opening. The plate 98 is a mirror which faces downwardly, in the closed position of the cover. With the cover 66 in open position, and the electric bulb 34 energized, light is transmitted through the ring 96, to the face of the user of the device for ina spection and facial make-up purposes, or for the purpose of illuminating a darkened area. On the cover flange 6%, opposite the hinge, the cover flange 68 and the handle flange 54- have external, interengageable detent lugs 1M and 106, which hold the cover 66 releasably in closed position.

It will be understood that the lipstick and the facial powder container can be replaced by any single objects or pluralities of objects pertinent to the interests and requirements of the user of the above described device.

Although there has been shown and described a preferred form of the invention, it is to be understood that the invention is not necessarily confined thereto, and that any change or changes in the structure of and in the relative arrangements of components thereof are contemplated as being within the scope of the invention as defined by the claims appended hereto.

What is claimed is:

1. An illuminated mirror kit comprising a body having a relatively small diameter handle portion and an enlarged diameter upper end on said handle portion, an upper counterbore opening to the upper end of the body and constituting a battery compartment, a container closing the upper end of the battery compartment, a battery supported in the battery compartment and having upper and lower terminals, a conductive battery clip mounted on the bottom of the upper counterbore and in contact with the lower battery terminal, contact means on said container in contact with the upper battery terminal, a switch on the sidewall of said battery compartment, a cover hinged on the upper end of the body and normally closing the upper end of the body and enclosing said container, said cover having a top wall and an open lower end, a disc extending across the interior of the cover and spaced from its top wall, said disc having an opaque mirror portion and a translucent portion, an electric bulb mounted in the space between the cover top wall and the disc, and conductor means connecting said bulb, said switch, and the battery in circuit.

2. An illuminated mirror kit comprising a body having a relatively small diameter handle portion and an enlarged diameter upper end on said handle portion, an upper counterbore opening to the upper end of the body and constituting a battery compartment, a container closing the upper end of the battery compartment, a battery supported in the battery compartment and having upper and lower terminals, a conductive battery clip mounted on the bottom of the upper counterbore and in contact with the lower battery terminal, contact means on said container in contact with the upper battery terminal, a switch on the sidewall of said battery compartment, a cover hinged on the. upper end of the body and normally closing the upper end of the body and enclosing said container, said cover having a top wall and an open lower end, a disc extending across the interior of the cover and spaced from its top wall, said disc having an opaque mirror portion and a translucent portion, an electric bulb mounted in the space between the cover top wall and the disc, and conductor means connecting said bulb, said switch, and the battery in circuit, a lower counterbore in and opening to the lower end of the handle portion, said lower counterbore constituting a lower compartment, and article retaining means removably engaged in the lower end of the lower compartment.

3. An illuminated mirror kit comprising a body having a relatively small diameter handle portion and an enlarged diameter upper end on said handle portion, an upper counterbore opening to the upper end of the body and constituting a battery compartment, a container closing the upper end of the battery compartment, a battery supported in the battery compartment and having upper and lower terminals, a conductive battery clip mounted on the bottom of the upper counterbore and in contact with the lower battery terminal, contact means on said container in contact with the upper battery terminal, a switch on the sidewall of said battery compartment, a cover hinged on the upper end of the body and normally closing the upper end of the body and enclosing said container, said cover having a top wall and an open lower end, a disc extending across the interior of the cover and spaced from its top wall, said disc having an opaque mirror portion and a translucent portion, an electric bulb mounted in the space between the cover top wall and the disc, and conductor means connecting said bulb, said switch, and the battery in circuit, said battery compartment having an upwardly flared sidewall portion merging into the upper end of the body, an upstanding annular flange around the upper end of the body and defining an annular shoulder at the lower end of the flange, upon which said container rests, said shoulder and said flange constituting an upper compartment.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,057,820 Gernsback Apr. 1, 1913 1,979,542 Hauser et al Nov. 6, 1934 FOREIGN PATENTS 824,994 Germany Dec. 17, 1951 

1. AN ILLUMINATED MIRROR KIT COMPRISING A BODY HAVING A RELATIVELY SMALL DIAMETER HANDLE PORTION AND AN ENLARGED DIAMETER UPPER END ON SAID HANDLE PORTION, AN UPPER COUNTERBORE OPENING TO THE UPPER END OF THE BODY AND CONSTITUTING A BATTERY COMPARTMENT, A CONTAINER CLOSING THE UPPER END OF THE BATTERY COMPARTMENT, A BATTERY SUPPORTED IN THE BATTERY COMPARTMENT AND HAVING UPPER AND LOWER TERMINALS, A CONDUC TIVE BATTERY CLIP MOUNTED ON THE BOTTOM OF THE UPPER COUNTERBORE AND IN CONTACT WITH THE LOWER BATTERY TERMINAL, CONTACT MEANS ON SAID CONTAINER IN CONTACT WITHTHE UPPER BATTERY TERMINAL, A SWITCH ON THE SIDEWALL OF SAID BATTERY COMPARTMENT, A COVER HINGED ON THE UPPER END OF THE BODY AND NORMALLY CLOSING THE UPPER END OF THE BODY AND ENCLOSING SAID CONTAINER, SAID COVER HAVING A TOP WALL AND AN OPEN 